New Entry's farmer library has hundreds of resources on sustainable farming, marketing, and operating a successful small business. Our physical library at our office in Beverly, MA contains books, CD's, DVD's periodicals, pamphlets, and videos in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Khmer. You can also search the directory below for downloadable digital resources, helpful web sites, and online farming videos.
Please visit or email us at nesfp@tufts.edu if you can't find what you're looking for here. Sometimes we are out in the field, so it's best to let us know if you're planning on stopping by.
We've learned a lot over the last few years while planning, building, operating, repairing, and managing a mobile poultry processing unit. Drawing on our own experiences and those of other poultry processing projects around the country, we put together this comprehensive guide to planning and constructing an MPPU or stationary facility for on-farm poultry processing.
The guide incorporates tips and lessons learned, case studies and example plans, and lots guidance for anyone thinking about building their own MPPU or other on-farm poultry processing facility, including:
Choosing a facility type
Selecting equipment
Designing a floor plan
For questions about the guide, please contact the New Entry office at 978-654-6745.
The Farmer’s Guide to Working with Land Trusts is written for farmers, land trust staff, and farmer service providers. The guide gives an introduction to land trusts, explains how these groups can be powerful partners in a farmer’s search for affordable farmland, and provides detailed information about the process of working with a land trust.
Finding and securing land to farm is one of the biggest challenges that beginning farmers and ranchers face in starting a career in agriculture. Farmland prices are at a record high across the country and land has become increasingly unaffordable for farmers. The land surrounding our nation’s cities, where market opportunities are greatest for beginning farmers, is often the most difficult to access. This guidebook provides farmers with practical tools and resources for partnering with a land trust to access land.
The guide includes: An introduction to land trusts and conservation easements A toolbox of ways in which young farmers can partner with a land trust A guide for reaching out to a land trust, with detailed steps and information about what to expect once you do An overview of a typical land trust transaction, including a sample timeline and project budget An appendix, which lists organizations that may be helpful partners in the process of working with a land trust
New Entry prepared a Handbook for Small-Scale Poultry Producer-Processors that describes how to apply for licensure to process poultry using a Massachusetts-inspected MPPU. Producers are encouraged to use the guide to understand basic requirements for MPPU use and licensure. The guide contains:
Overview of Massachusetts regulations regarding poultry processing
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Step-by-Step guidance on completing the Mass Slaughter License application
What to expect after completing the application
Regulatory Resources
For questions or clarification about the Handbook, or for technical assistance in completing your local and state approvals for MPPU use, please contact the New Entry office at 978-654-6745.
This plain language guide is written for people who want to start a small farm business. This guide will help you think about the benefits and challenges of owning a farm before you begin, and will introduce you to services that will help you put your farm dream into action.
In this guide, you will learn about:
Skills you need to start a small farm
Risks & rewards of owning a farm
Resources for investing in your farm
Making a farm business plan
Marketing your products
This guide was written for small farmers in the Northeast United States, but can certainly be used in other regions - just keep in mind that some of the example figures might be different in your area.
A guide for small-scale poultry producers and processors using a Massachusetts-inspected mobile poultry processing unit (MPPU) or stationary on-farm facility. The guide was created by New Entry in partnership with the New England Small Farm Institute with input from Massachusetts state agencies, outlining the food safety and recordkeeping practices required of small-scale poultry processors operating under a slaughter license from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, including:
On-farm processing safe food handling plan
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
Standard Operating and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs and SSOPs)
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan
Sample Daily Use Report Logs for Massachusetts poultry processors
For questions or clarification about the Handbook, or for technical assistance in completing your local and state approvals for MPPU use, please contact the New Entry office at 978-654-6745.
New Entry Food Hub provides market access to beginning farmers, market-based training, and produce aggregation and distribution services to a broad array of consumers. We operate a Community Supported Agriculture program, food access programs for food insecure families and individuals, and donate produce to food banks and pantries, transitional living centers, and other social service agencies. Learn more about our 2020 Food Hub operations and impact - COVID-19 had an outsized impact on access to quality food and our farmers stepped up and met the need!
New Entry Food Hub provides market access to beginning farmers, market-based training, and produce aggregation and distribution services to a broad array of consumers. We operate a Community Supported Agriculture program, food access programs for food insecure families and individuals, and donate produce to food banks and pantries, transitional living centers, and other social service agencies. Learn more about our 2021 Food Hub operations, impact, and new partnerships!
Join New Entry Sustainable Farming Project hosts this webinar discussing the basic practical details of farmland leasing. Learn about the benefits of farmland leasing, elements of a good lease, finding the “right” relationship with a land owner, and expectations of engaging legal help. Presenters include Kathy Ruhf at Land For Good, Elena Mihaly at Legal Services Food Hub, and Noelle Fogg at New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
This webinar is designed to give you the tools to stay on track during the growing season. New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and The Carrot Project give an overview of a new Financial Calendar tool. We dive into how the tool can help you stay organized with daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks. A successful beginning farmer is also on hand to help you adapt the calendar to your farm's needs and realities and create a personalized financial management calendar for your farm.
To help us continue to provide high quality programs and events, please fill out this brief evaluation after watching the webinar:https://www.tfaforms.com/421794
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project's Farmland Matching Service hosts this webinar on tools for finding and assessing farmland in New England. Learn about local and regional resources that can help you identify potential farmland and discover tools that can help you identify key considerations for careful examination of a site, including conditions and variables that may affect the viability of your farm operation. Presenters include Kathy Ruhf at Land for Good, Ben Waterman at University of Vermont Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and Noelle Fogg at New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
